Residents fed up with roamings cows

RAVENSWOOD residents are frustrated over cows running rampant in their streets.

Residents have complained for months about the rogue cows wandering onto their properties and destroying lawns and gardens.

Resident Nicole Harding was so moved to do something about the issue that she started Facebook page ``Stop the Cows Roaming Around Ravenswood'' on Monday to raise awareness and has accrued more than 270 followers.

'They just wander the streets going from lawn to lawn'

Nicole Harding

``Sometimes (the cows) are only out a few days a week and then at times it can be every day,'' she said.

``Sometimes it could be six to eight of them, a few times it'll be a herd, including calves, of up to 40.

``They just wander the streets going from lawn to lawn.''

People have posted photos of cows grazing on their lawns and one resident has described an encounter where two cows were so close to her unit that she ``could (have) milked them''.

Farmer Grant Heazlewood, who owns the property from which the cows are straying, said trailbike riders, arsonists, and car thieves were regularly destroying his fences and letting his stock out.

He said this had been the case for the past 17 years and he was powerless to stop it, even with help from the police and the Launceston City Council.

Mr Heazlewood had recently spent thousands of dollars fixing fences that had been cut for bike riders to access tracks and gates that had been rammed by stolen cars.

He said there were 12 vehicles dumped and burnt out on his land.

Mr Heazlewood said the damaged fences also provided access for dogs to attack sheep on his property - four of which had been killed in attacks this week.

Farmer Grant Heazlewood is frustrated at constantly having to mend his fences cut by trail bike riders and destroyed by arsonists and car thieves. Picture: NEIL RICHARDSON